At One Place

Musical instruments — what they are made of

4 musical instruments objects, broken down.

Object Made of
Guitar string A high-carbon steel core with a wrap of nickel or bronze — or, on a classical guitar, nylon.
Piano key A spruce or basswood lever with an acrylic top and a plastic sharp — ivory has been out of use for decades.
Violin bow A pernambuco or carbon fibre stick strung with horsehair, which grips the string only because of rosin.
Drum head A polyester film tucked into an aluminium hoop with epoxy — plastic replaced calfskin in the 1950s.